NorthWood flourishes in role of underdog

November 24, 2005|MATT KOPSEA Tribune Staff Writer

NAPPANEE -- Derren Lengacher has been down this road before. A starter in the offensive backfield as a sophomore, the 5-foot-11, 185-pound Lengacher endured a difficult day as Indianapolis Chatard rambled to a 49-0 victory over the Panthers to capture the 2003 Class 3-A state football championship. "The last time we played them, things didn't go very well for us," recalled Lengacher. "It was a lot of fun just being down there when I was a sophomore. Now that I'm a senior, though, this time it means a lot more to me." Lengacher hopes there are fewer road blocks Saturday afternoon when NorthWood (8-6) and No. 4 Indianapolis Chatard (12-2) meet at the RCA Dome. "There's no pressure on us because no one expected we'd even be here," Lengacher said. "If we go out and perform at the level we have these last few weeks, I believe we're ready to go. So I like our chances to come out on top and win a championship." In addition to trying to avenge setbacks to Chatard in the 1998 and 2003 finals, the Panthers also are hoping to rewrite the history books. Since the state tournament series was introduced in 1973, no team ever has won the title with more than five losses (Indianapolis Scecina captured the 1990 Class 2-A trophy with a 9-5 mark). After a stunning 17-10 upset of top-ranked Griffith in the semistate, NorthWood coach Rich Dodson believes his club is as ready as it could be. "The confidence level of our kids is higher now than it has been all season," said Dodson. "It seems like someone different has come up big for us at some point, which means we haven't had to rely on just one person to carry the load." Just as the Panthers have rebounded from a 1-4 start to make it back to the Dome for the sixth time, Lengacher has overcome his share of obstacles, including injuries to his groin and left knee. Almost back to 100 percent, the senior running back/safety has had a huge impact with 1,257 yards rushing, 12 touchdowns, and four interceptions. "It was definitely frustrating both physically and emotionally for a while there, but we never gave up hope," said Lengacher. "I think once the tournament started, our attitude and outlook changed a little. I believe being thought of as an underdog actually helped us relax and allowed us to just go out there and have fun." Most teams, though, have not gotten much pleasure trying to stop Chatard running back Joe Howard. The 6-2, 190-pound junior has not only rushed for 2,168 yards and 30 touchdowns, but also leads the Trojans with 224 yards in receptions. "He's definitely very talented and very fast," Dodson said. "He really doesn't do anything fancy, but not many teams have had much success slowing him down." Lending a helping hand to Lengacher have been freshman quarterback Skyler Titus (868 yards passing) and junior receiver/defensive back Brant Ehret (498 receiving and seven interceptions). "They've got tough kids who seem to be gelling at just the right time," said Chatard coach Vince Lorenzano. "They really hit hard and like to mix it up. Other than Roncalli, they'll be the most physical team in my opinion that we've seen this year. "They seem to be playing their best right now," Lorenzano added. "They've got good diversity offensively.'' Providing support for Howard has been senior quarterback Matt Lubbers (547 passing and 239 rushing) and junior back Tyler Kleinschmidt (732 rushing). "You know they're going to try and wear us down, so we've got to be on guard and avoid giving up the big plays," said Dodson. "They've made it hard for teams to run against them, so we've got to have some confidence in our ability to throw the ball." Staff writer Matt Kopsea: mkopsea@sbtinfo.com (574) 235-6315